977.3 
W887i 

Woolsey,  M.B. 

Illinois  and  Lincoln 


LINCOLN  ROOM 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
LIBRARY 


MEMORIAL 

the  Class  of  1901 

founded  by 

HARLAN  HOYT  HORNER 

and 

HENRIETTA  CALHOUN  HORNER 


JUmflte  attfc  Hmrnltt 


,-t- 


View  of   State  Capitol  Grounds — Centennial  Memorial   Building:   in  Background 


JUtttnta  mb  ICtnrnht 

Historical  Sketches  and  Pictures  of  Illinois  Capitols 
Public  Buildings 
Lincoln  in  Springfield 
Governors  of  Illinois 


PREPARED   BY 
M.   B.   WOOLSEY 


Ju^/vc^-^ 


Abraham  Lincoln, 

Photograph  of  an  original  painting  from  life  by  George  F. 
Wright  shortly  after  Mr.  Lincoln  was  notified  of  his  nomination 
for  President  of  the  United  States  by  the  Republican  Party  in  1860. 


[3] 


Lincoln    Homestead,    Eighth   and    Jackson    Streets,    Springfield,    111. 

[4] 


Lincoln  Homestead, 

The  Lincoln  home  is  situated  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Eighth  and  Jackson 
Streets,  Springfield,  and  so  far  as  known  is  the  only  piece  of  real  property  ever  owned 
by  Mr.  Lincoln.  With  its  antique  furniture  and  relics,  many  of  them  just  as  Lincoln 
left  them,  it  is  Springfield's  most  historic  dwelling  and  is  visited  annually  by  over 
twenty  thousand  people.  It  was  built  in  1839  and  was  purchased  in  1844  by  Mr. 
Lincoln  The  frame  and  floors  are  of  oak,  the  laths  are  of  hickory  split  by  hand;  the 
doors,  door  frames,  window  frames  and  weather-boarding  are  of  American  Walnut. 
Originally  the  building  was  only  one  and  one-half  stories  high.  It  is  said  that  Mrs. 
Lincoln  wanted  the  rooms  on  the  second  floor  full  height  and,  after  discussing  the 
plans  with  Mr.  Lincoln  for  some  time,  took  the  matter  in  her  own  hands  and  during 
his  absence  carried  the  plan  to  completion. 


[3] 


The  Edwards   Home 

[6] 


The  Edwards  Home. 

Of  the  many  homes  in  Springfield  which  were  the  scenes  of  social  gaiety  during 
the  time  when  Lincoln  made  his  home  in  Springfield,  there  was  one,  a  red  brick, 
standing  where  now  stands  the  Centennial  Building,  which  in  importance  in  a  historical 
way  was  second  only  to  the  Lincoln  Home. 

Here  Lincoln  met,  courted  and  on  November  4,  1842,  married  Miss  Mary  Todd, 
a  belle  of  Kentucky  who  was  visiting  her  sister,  Mrs.  Edwards.  After  the  death  of 
her  immortal  husband,  Mrs.  Lincoln  made  this  her  home  until  her  death,  July  16,  1882. 


[71 


The  Room   in   Which   Lincoln   Was   Married 

[8] 


Where  Lincoln  Was  Married, 

The  room  in  the  Edwards  Home  where  Lincoln  received  Miss  Mary  Todd  as  his 
bride  was  the  large  first  floor  parlor  in  the  front  and  toward  the  north.  The  couple 
are  said  to  have  met  in  front  of  the  fire-place,  where  Rev.  Charles  Dresser  performed 
the  wedding  ceremony. 


[0] 


[10] 


The  Lincoln  Tomb. 

The  Lincoln  Tomb,  an  imposing  edifice  which  rises  from  a  picturesque  eminence  in  Oak  Ridge  Cemetery,  Spring- 
field, is  the  Mecca  annually  of  thousands  of  visitors  from  all  parts  of  the  civilized  world. 

On  May  11,  1865,  the  "Lincoln  Monument  Association"  was  formed  and  Springfield,  Illinois,  having  been 
Lincoln's  home,  was  selected  as  the  location  for  the  monument  or  tomb.  The  money  was  raised  by  state  appropriations 
and  private  subscriptions.  Illinois  gave  $77,000,  New  York  $10,000,  Missouri  $1,000,  Nevada  $500,  Soldiers  and 
Sailors  $27,000,  and  sixty  thousand  Sunday  School  children  contributed  $22,000.  Private  subscriptions  were  made  by 
the  friends  of  the  assassinated  President,  making  a  total  of  $200,000.  Ground  was  broken  on  September  10,  1869,  and 
construction  went  on  from  that  time  until  October  15,  1874,  when  the  monument  was  formally  dedicated.  President 
Grant  was  present  and  delivered  a  short  eulogy  on  Lincoln  at  the  tomb.     Governor  Oglesby  was  the  orator  of  the  day. 

An  American  sculptor,  Larkin  G.  Meade,  designed  the  structure.  Quincy  granite  was  used  as  the  exterior,  brick 
being  used  as  reinforcement.  The  base  is  seventy-two  and  one-half  feet  square  and  fifteen  feet  ten  inches  high.  On 
this  is  built  the  obelisk,  rising  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  feet  in  the  air.  At  the  angles  of  the  obelisk  are  four 
pedestals  twelve  and  a  half  feet  high,  which  support  imposing  groups  of  statuary  representing  the  four  branches  of  the 
national  service,  Infantry,  Cavalry,  Artillery  and  Navy.  A  square  pedestal  seven  feet  high  stands  at  the  south  side  of 
the  obelisk  and  supports  a  statue  of  Lincoln  which  looks  down  upon  all  who  enter  Memorial  Hall. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  base  is  a  projection,  semi-circular  in  form,  which  forms  the  vestibule  of  the  crypts  in 
which  are  contained  the  bodies  of  Mrs.  Lincoln  and  their  sons.  A  similar  projection  on  the  south  side  is  used  as 
Memorial  Hall.  The  vestibule  on  the  north  contains  the  sarcophagus  in  which  Lincoln's  body  lay  from  1874  until 
September  26,  1901,  when  the  Emancipator's  remains  were  placed  in  a  cemented  vault  directly  underneath  the  marble 
casket  in  which  they  formerly  reposed. 

On  May  18,  1895,  the  Illinois  General  Assembly,  by  special  Act,  accepted  the  transfer  from  the  "Lincoln  Monu- 
ment Association"  to  the  State  of  Illinois.  When  the  monument  began  to  show  signs  of  decay  in  1899,  Governor  John 
R.  Tanner  recommended  that  an  appropriation  be  made  to  repair  and  preserve  the  structure.  The  Forty:first  General 
Assembly  appropriated  $100,000,  and  the  task  of  rebuilding  was  begun  November  11,  1899.  The  bodies  of  Lincoln 
and  his  family  were  removed,  temporarily,  to  vaults  constructed  to  receive  them  during  reconstruction.  On  June  1,  1901, 
the  work  of  rebuilding  was  completed  and  the  bodies  were  placed  in  their  last  resting  place.  The  body  of  Mr.  Lincoln 
was  placed  in  a  concrete  vault  thirteen  feet  below  the  floor  of  the  crypt  in  which  lie  the  remains  of  the  rest  of  his  family. 

[11] 


[12] 


[13] 


w~-%* 


'■-Jmtf 


_iH 


[14] 


[15] 


Memorial   Hall  at  the   Tomb 
[16] 


JUtttotB  (Hapttflla 


[17] 


House  Owned  by  George  Fisher,  Kaskaskia 

[13] 


Illinois'  First  State  Capital. 

When  Illinois  was  admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  state  in  1818,  Kaskaskia  was  the  territorial  capital.  The  two 
sessions  of  the  first  General  Assembly  evidently  were  held  in  three  rooms  in  a  house  owned  by  George  Fisher,  as  the 
journal  of  the  second  session  on  March  29,  1819,  shows  that  there  were  appropriated  to  George  Fisher  for  the  use  of 
three  rooms  of  his  house  during  "the  present  and  preceding  sessions,"  $4.00  per  day,  also  for  the  use  of  one  room 
during  the  sitting  of  the  Constitutional  Convention,  $2.00  per  day. 

The  house — a  picture  of  which  appears  on  the  opposite  page — was  two  stories  high,  built  of  brick,  said  to  have  been 
the  first  brick  house  in  the  state.  The  brick  were  made  at  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania,  and  transported  down  the  Ohio 
and  up  the  Mississippi  to  Kaskaskia. 


[19] 


Illinois'   Second  Capitol,  Yaiulalia 

[20J 


Illinois9  First  Capitol  Building, 

On  October  12,  1818,  the  General  Assembly  petitioned  Congress  to  donate  from  one  to  four  sections  of  land  on 
the  banks  of  the  Kaskaskia  River  for  a  Capitol  site,  and  on  March  30th,  the  following  year,  five  commissioners  were 
appointed  to  select  the  site. 

The  commissioners  located  the  Capitol  at  what  was  then  known  as  "Reeve's  Bluff"  on  the  Kaskaskia  River,  about 
eighty  miles  above  the  town  of  Kaskaskia,  and  named  the  place  Vandalia.  The  construction  of  a  Capitol  having  been 
authorized,  work  began  at  once,  and  on  December  4,  1820,  the  first  session  of  the  second  General  Assembly  was  con- 
vened, in  the  first  state-owned  Capitol.  Writers  have  described  it  as  "a  plain  two-story  wooden  building."  On  the 
first  floor  was  the  hall  and  stairway,  and  one  room  used  by  the  House  of  Representatives,  the  two  rooms  on  the  second 
floor  were  used  by  the  Senate  and  the  Council  of  Revision.  This  building  on  December  9,  1823,  caught  fire  and  was 
destroyed. 

Second  Capitol  Building. 

The  second  Capitol  was  built  the  following  year  at  a  cost  of  $15,000.  It  was  a  large,  roomy  structure,  two 
stories  in  height,  housing  the  state  offices  as  well  as  the  General  Assembly  until  1836. 


[21] 


Illinois'  Third  Capitol,  Vandalia 

[22] 


The  Third  Capitol. 

In  1833  there  took  definite  shape  a  sentiment  favoring  the  removal  of  the  capital  from  Vandalia.  On  February  5th 
of  that  year  the  General  Assembly  passed  an  Act  providing  for  the  taking  of  a  vote  on  the  question.  Six  sites  were  voted 
on  with  the  following  result:  The  geographical  center  of  the  State  790  votes,  Jacksonville  273,  Springfield  7,075, 
Peoria  423,  Alton  8,157  and  Vandalia  7,730.  For  some  reason  the  returns  were  never  officially  canvassed  nor  the 
result  announced. 

Vandalia  citizens  fearful  that  they  would  lose  the  capital  and  seeking  to  meet  the  arguments  that  a  new  Capitol 
was  needed,  decided  to  take  advantage  of  the  failure  to  declare  the  official  result  of  the  election  and  build  a  new  Capitol, 
and  so  during  the  recess  of  the  General  Assembly  in  the  summer  of  1836  they  tore  down  the  old  Capitol  which  had 
been  built  in  1824  and  built  upon  their  own  responsibility,  a  new  (the  third)  Capitol  at  a  cost  of  $16,000. 

If  the  citizens  of  Vandalia  sought  to  settle  the  removal  issue,  by  presenting  the  state  with  a  new  state  house,  they 
were  doomed  to  disappointment,  for  the  General  Assembly,  on  February  28,  1837,  met  in  joint  session  and  on  the  fourth 
ballot  selected  Springfield  as  the  permanent  capital. 

The  last  session  of  the  General  Assembly  to  meet  in  Vandalia  was  convened  on  December  3,  1838,  and  on  the 
16th  of  February  the  following  spring  passed  an  Act  conveying  the  practically  new  Capitol  to  Fayette  County  and 
Vandalia,  with  the  stipulation  that  the  west  half  should  beused  as  a  court  house  and  the  east  half  for  school  purposes. 
The  building  was  so  used  until  1857.  In  1858-9  Fayette  County  expended  $50,000  in  remodeling  the  structure.  The 
interior  was  re-arranged,  large  porticos  were  added  to  the  north  and  south,  supported  by  massive  brick  pillars. 


[23] 


Illinois'  Fourth   Capitol,   Springfield 

[24] 


The  Fourth  Capitol, 

On  March  3,  1837,  the  General  Assembly  supplemented  the  Act  of  February  28th  of  that  year,  providing  for  the 
removal  of  the  Capital  to  Springfield  with  an  Act  which  authorized  the  Sangamon  County  Commissioners  to  convey  to 
the  state  the  site  known  as  the  Public  Square  in  Springfield.  The  site  contained  two  and  one-half  acres.  At  the  same 
time  a  Board  of  State  House  Commissioners  was  named  to  supervise  the  building  of  a  new  Capitol.  Fifty  thousand 
dollars  was  appropriated  and  to  this  amount  the  citizens  of  Sangamon  County  and  Springfield  added  a  like  amount. 
With  this  combination  fund,  the  construction  of  the  new  Capitol  was  started.  Three  hundred  dollars  was  offered  as 
a  premium  for  the  best  plans  for  the  new  state  house;  of  this  J.  F.  Rague  of  Springfield  received  $200,  and  Mr.  Single- 
ton of  St.  Louis  received  $100.     Mr.  Rague  was  retained  as  supervising  architect  at  a  salary  of  $1,000  per  year. 

The  cornerstone  was  laid  on  the  fourth  of  July  the  same  year.  The  stone  for  the  building  was  quarried  eight  or 
nine  miles  from  Springfield  along  Sugar  Creek  and  hauled  on  wagons  pulled  by  ten  or  twelve  yoke  of  oxen.  When 
completed,  the  building  was  said  to  be  one  of  the  finest  examples  of  Grecian  architecture  in  this  country. 

The  General  Assembly  met  in  the  new  building  in  December,  1840.  The  building,  however,  was  not  finished 
until  1853,  about  sixteen  years  after  the  cornerstone  was  laid. 

The  Capitol  was  two  stories  high  with  a  north  and  south  entrance.  In  the  center  was  the  stairway  to  the  second 
floor.     On  the  first  floor  on  the  west  side  of  the  lobby  were  the  offices  of  the  Auditor,  the  Secretary  of  State,  and  the 


[25] 


[26] 


State  Library;  to  the  east  of  the  lobby  were  the  Treasurer,  the  Supreme  Court  Chamber  and  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of 
the  Supreme  Court  and  the  Law  Library.  On  the  second  floor,  the  entire  west  side  was  used  by  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives. The  Senate  Chamber  occupied  about  one-half  of  the  east  side.  The  Governor's  office  was  across  the  hall 
from  the  Senate  Chamber. 

Here  Abraham  Lincoln  served  as  a  member  of  the  General  Assembly  and  tried  cases  before  the  Supreme  Court. 
It  was  in  the  House  of  Representatives  on  the  evening  of  June  16,  1858,  that  he  made  his  famous  "house  divided  against 
itself"  speech,  in  which  he  said,  shortly  after  the  commencement  of  his  address,  "A  house  divided  against  itself  cannot 
stand.  I  believe  this  government  cannot  endure  permanently  half  slave  and  half  free.  I  do  not  expect  the  house  to 
fall,  but  I  do  expect  that  it  will  cease  to  be  divided." 

Here  on  May  4,  1865,  the  remains  of  the  assassinated  President  lay  in  state  immediately  in  front  of  the  Speaker's 
rostrum.     Press  accounts  of  the  time  state  that  twenty-five  thousand  people  passed  in  line  to  view  them  that  day. 

This  building  was  occupied  by  the  county  officials  in  the  same  condition  as  when  used  as  a  State  Capitol  until  it 
was  remodeled  in  1899-1901.  The  building  was  raised  off  its  foundation  and  a  new  first  story  was  built,  making  it 
three  stories  in  height  instead  of  two.  Two  entrances,  a  new  roof  and  a  dome  were  added  at  a  cost  of  approximately 
$170,000. 


[271 


Zfflammmm 


Present   Capitol   1800 

T2S] 


The  Present  Capitol. 

On  February  25,  1867,  the  General  Assembly  passed  an  Act  authorizing  the  building  of  a  new  State  House.  The 
Act  also  authorized  the  Governor  to  convey  to  Sangamon  County  and  the  City  of  Springfield  the  old  Capitol  building 
and  grounds.  This  building  is  now  the  Sangamon  County  Court  House  and  stands  in  the  center  of  the  Public  Square 
of  Springfield.  In  return  the  State  received  $200,000  and  the  site  for  the  new  Capitol.  The  Act  limited  the  cost  of 
the  new  building  to  $3,000,000.  This  amount  later  was  found  inadequate.  The  constitution  of  1870  placed  a  limit  of 
an  extra  half  million  dollars  to  be  added  to  the  original  sum.  The  people  in  1884  voted  to  appropriate  an  additional 
amount  to  complete  the  building,  so  that  when  it  was  completely  finished  in  1885  the  cost  was  about  $4,500,000. 

A  prize  of  $3,000  was  offered  for  the  best  design  and  was  won  by  John  C.  Cochrane  of  Chicago.  Ground  was 
broken  for  the  new  building  March  11,  1868.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  October  5th  of  the  same  year.  The  accepted 
plan  was  in  the  form  of  a  Latin  Cross,  379  feet  north  and  south  by  268  feet  east  and  west,  surmounted  with  a  dome 
364  feet  high,  resting  on  a  foundation  ninety-two  and  one-half  feet  in  diameter,  the  walls  of  which  are  twenty-five  feet 
below  grade  line  and  seventeen  feet  thick  from  grade  to  floor  of  the  first  story.  The  foundat'ons  for  the  outer  walls 
are  from  eleven  to  sixteen  feet  in  thickness  below  grade  line  and  nine  feet  thick  to  the  floor  of  the  first  story.  The 
tip  of  the  flag-staff  is  405  feet  from  the  grade  line.  The  height  of  the  dome  exclusive  of  the  flag-staff  is  seventy-four 
feet  higher  than  the  dome  of  the  National  Capitol  at  Washington. 

The  foundation  is  of  granular  magnesian  limestone  from  the  Scnora  quarries  of  Hancock  County.  Niagara  lime- 
stone is  used  in  the  outerwalls  above  the  grade  line.  The  eastern  and  northern  porticos  contain  huge  pillars  of  polished 
Fox  Island  granite  with  Corinthian  capitals  that  support  Corinthian  gables.  Around  the  base  of  the  dome,  the  walls  of 
which  recede  in  graduated  stories  or  set-backs,  provision  is  made  for  the  transition  from  the  square  to  the  circular  shape, 
by  an  arrangement  on  each  of  the  four  sides,  of  eight  columns  that  support  a  balcony  almost  two  hundred  feet  above  the 
ground;  while  just  above  and  completely  encircling  the  dome  are  twenty  round  arched  windows  in  alternating  groups 
of  two  and  three  openings,  the  groups  separated  by  columns. 

Within  the  building,  marbles  are  extensively  used  and  after  almost  fifty  years  of  service  are  practically  unim- 
paired.    In  the  floors  and  in  the  wainscoting  and  panelling  are  seen  vari-colored  domestic  and  imported  marbles,  including 

[29] 


US 
it 

a 
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a 
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s, 
O 


[30] 


Verde  Antique,  Glen  Falls,  Tennessee,  Concord,  Vermont,  Carthage  Imperial  Gray,  Georgia  Pink,  Libson,  White 
Italian,  Alps  Green  and  other  varieties.  The  field  of  the  floors  are  gray  marble.  There  are  embellishments  of  reddish 
marble  and  a  border  of  purple  and  sage  green.  The  rotunda  from  the  second  floor  is  formed  of  a  succession  of  marble, 
granite  and  bronze  to  a  height  where  a  huge  frieze  forty  feet  high  completely  encircles  the  dome.  Above  is  a  succession 
of  highly  decorated  mouldings  that  extend  upward  some  twenty  feet,  above  which,  in  turn  are  twenty-four  columns 
sixty  feet  high  and  four  feet  in  diameter  apparently  of  Siena  marble.  In  reality  they  are  synthetic  with  capitals  and 
vases  in  imitation  of  antique  bronze. 

The  upper  dome  is  decorated  and  panelled  with  relief  ornaments  all  of  which  are  treated  in  atmospheric  colors  to 
give  distance  to  a  structure  already  reaching  to  a  height  of  over  two  hundred  feet.  Blue  and  gold  are  predominating 
colors.  There  is  a  circle  in  the  very  top  of  the  dome  about  fourteen  feet  in  diameter  finished  with  stained  glass  on 
which  the  principal  design  of  ornamentation  is  the  coat-of-arms  of  the  State  of  Illinois. 

The  main  feature  of  the  first  floor  is  the  grand  stairway  in  the  west  corridor,  composed  solidly  of  marble  with  a 
framework  of  iron.  At  the  stair  head  is  a  large  painting  twenty  by  forty  feet,  representing  George  Rogers  Clark  and 
his  great  treaty  with  the  Indians  at  Kaskaskia. 

The  corridors  of  the  second  floor  with  three  foot  high  wainscoting  and  marble  fl(  or  have  a  series  of  marble  shafts 
supporting  the  ceiling.  The  other  wings  are  decorated  in  French  Renaissance  fresco  design  in  keeping  with  the  rest 
of  the  building. 

The  murals  throughout  are  plentiful.  They  depict  mythological  characters,  as  well  as  noted  scenes,  events  and 
personages  of  Illinois  history. 

On  the  first  floor  are  the  offices  of  the  different  departments.  The  Governor,  the  Secretary  of  State,  the  Treasurer 
and  the  Auditor  of  Public  Accounts  are  located  on  the  second  floor.  The  General  Assembly  occupies  the  third  floor, 
the  Senate  Chamber  being  in  the  north  and  the  House  of  Representatives  in  the  south  wing.  The  west  wing  is  used  as 
a  reception  room  for  the  members  of  the  General  Assembly  and  is  elaborately  furnished  with  leather  upholstered  chairs 
and  lounges.  The  ceiling  and  walls  are  decorated  in  keeping  with  the  rest  of  the  building.  The  fourth  and  fifth  floors 
are  used  by  various  bureaus  and  departments. 

[31] 


The  Senate  Chamber 
[32] 


House   of  Representatives 
[33] 


Marble   Stairway   to   Second   Floor 

[34] 


Marble  .Stairway  to  Third  Floor 
[35] 


Executive  Mansion 
[36] 


Executive  Mansion. 

This  comfortable  and  homelike  residence  of  Illinois  governors  was  built  in  1865  of  brick  and  stone.  On  the  first 
floor  is  the  state  dining  room,  library,  receiving  and  living  rooms.  A  handsome  staircase  leads  from  the  large  hall  to  the 
living  rooms  on  the  second  floor. 

The  mansion  stands  on  a  knoll  facing  the  north  and  is  approached  by  drives  leading  into  the  grounds  from  Fifth 
Street  on  the  east  and  Fourth  Street  on  the  west.  The  grounds  comprising  several  acres  constitute  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  and  stately  residence  sites  in  Springfield.  Artistic  flower  plots,  shrubbery  and  the  natural  grouping  of  trees 
emphasize  its  beauty. 

Since  Governor  Bissell  and  his  family  took  up  their  abode  in  the  mansion  in  1857  the  historic  home  has  received 
presidents  of  the  United  States,  envoys  from  foreign  countries  and  political  and  social  personages  of  prominence  from 
every  corner  of  the  world. 


[37] 


The  New  Centennial  Memorial  Building: 

[38] 


The  Centennial  Building. 

The  Centennial  Building  was  built  as  a  memorial  to  the  one  hundred  years  of  statehood  of  the  State  of  Illinois. 
The  building  stands  south  and  east  of  the  Capitol;  beautiful  in  design,  stately  and  imposing  in  appearance.  It  graces 
and  lends  dignity  to  the  Capitol  group.  The  original  plan  was  a  building  to  be  devoted  entirely  to  education.  On  the 
first  floor  Memorial  Hall,  magnificent  in  its  appointments,  greets  the  visitor  as  he  first  enters.  Glass  cases  are  placed 
on  each  side  of  the  room  containing  the  battle  flags  of  the  Civil  War,  the  Spanish-American  War  and  the  World  War, 
under  which  Illinois'  sons  fought  for  their  country.     Here  is  located  a  very  valuable  collection  of  war  relics. 

On  the  third  floor  are  located  the  State  Library,  the  Historical  Library  and  Lincoln's  Memorial  room,  in  which  are 
many  rare  and  valuable  relics  connected  with  the  life  of  the  great  Emancipator.  The  Superintendent  of  Public  In- 
struction occupies  the  rooms  at  the  east  end  of  the  building,  also  the  fourth  floor.  On  the  fifth  floor  is  located  the  State 
Museum  of  Natural  History. 

The  Fiftieth  General  Assembly  in  1917  passed  an  Act  with  an  appropriation  for  the  new  building  which  it  was 
estimated  would  cost  about  $800,000.  The  World  War  came  on  and  mounting  costs  and  elaboration  of  plans  increased 
the  cost  so  that  when  it  was  completed  in  1923  about  two  million  dollars  had  been  expended.  The  corner-stone  was  laid 
October  5,  1918,  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  meeting  of  the  first  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Illinois  and 
the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  the  present  Capitol. 


[391 


Illinois    Supreme    Court   Building 

[40] 


Illinois  Supreme  Court  Building, 

The  Illinois  Supreme  Court  Building  sometimes  called  the  "Palace  of  Justice,"  is  an  artistic  structure  rich  in 
beauty  of  an  impressive  sort,  built  of  stone,  and  conveys  something;  of  the  sense  of  austerity  and  quiet  force  one  asso- 
ciates with  the  stern  pronouncement  of  the  law's  finalities. 

It  stands  east  of  the  Capitol  on  a  terraced  area  and  houses  the  legal  department  of  the  State.  On  the  first  floor  are 
the  offices  of  the  Attorney  General  and  the  officials  of  the  Courts;  on  the  second  floor  is  the  Supreme  Court  Chamber, 
beautifully  finished  in  marble  and  Circassian  walnut.  The  Appellate  Court  Chamber  is  finished  in  mahogany.  The 
Law  Library  is  finished  in  silver  oak.  Conference  rooms  adjoin  both  Court  Chambers.  On  the  third  floor  are  the  living 
rooms  of  the  Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court. 


[U] 


.  - 


v  •-"7t'*"iV«^3     t*"I 


State  Arsenal,  Springfield 

[42] 


The  Illinois  State  Arsenal, 

The  Illinois  State  Arsenal,  north  and  east  of  the  Capitol,  three  hundred  feet  long  and  over  one  hundred  feet  wide, 
covering  nearly  a  half  block,  suggests  an  old  time  fortress.  The  style  of  architecture  is  of  the  middle  ages.  The  long 
walls  are  broken  with  circular  and  square  projections  and  finished  with  battlements  and  embrasures.  The  walls  are  rock 
faced  limestone. 

In  the  interior  a  large  assembly  hall  two  hundred  and  twenty  feet  long  and  one  hundred  and  thirty-six  feet  wide 
with  a  gallery  on  three  sides  first  attracts  the  eye  as  one  enters  the  building.  The  seating  capacity  is  ten  thousand. 
Many  political  conventions  have  been  held  here  as  well  as  social  fetes  and  other  public  meetings.  In  the  front  are  the 
offices  and  on  the  west  side  is  a  two  hundred  feet  rifle  range.  On  the  second  floor,  the  company  rooms,  officers'  quarters, 
etc.,  are  located. 

On  May  11,  1901,  the  General  Assembly  appropriated  $150,000  for  its  construction.  The  site,  valued  at  $42,000, 
was  donated  by  the  city  of  Springfield  and  on  June  4,  1903,  President  Roosevelt  made  a  special  trip  to  Springfield  to 
dedicate  the  new  arsenal. 


[43] 


Illinois'  First  Arsenal,  Erected  in   1855 

[44] 


$0ti?rttflr0  flf  JUittntB 


[4.-,] 


^Wuu^  (^^7'^ 


[4CJ 


Shadrach  Bond, 

Governor  of  Illinois,  1818-1822. 
Pierre  Menard,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Shadrach  Bond,  the  first  Governor  of  Illinois,  was  born  at  Fredericktown,  Frederick  County,  Maryland,  Novembei 
24,  1773.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  1704  and  for  a  time  resided  with  his  uncle,  Shadrach  Bond,  Sr.,  a  veteran  of  the 
Revolutionary  War,  in  what  is  now  Monroe  County,  but  was  then  a  part  of  St.  Clair  County.  Later  he  engaged  in 
farming  at  New  Design. 

On  November  27,  1810,  he  was  married  at  Nashville,  Tennessee,  to  Miss  Achsah  Bond,  a  distant  relative. 

In  May,  1805,  Mr.  Bond  was  elected  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the  Indiana  territorial  assembly.  Illinois  was  then 
embraced  in  Indiana  territory,  but  the  two  states  were  separated  in  1809,  and  Mr.  Bond  took  an  active  part  in  this 
legislation. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  War  of  1812,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  and  by  gallant  service,  rose  to  the  rank  of  colonel.  The 
same  year,  he  was  elected  to  Congress  as  the  first  territorial  delegate  from  Illinois,  and  he  left  the  army  to  enter  Con- 
gress, serving  in  the  Twelfth  and  Thirteenth  Congresses,  from  December  3,  1812,  to  October  3,  1814.  He  was 
appointed  receiver  of  public  money  for  the  territory  of  Illinois  in  1814  and  removed  to  Kaskaskia  to  take  charge  of 
this  office. 

When  Illinois  was  admitted  to  the  Federal  Union  as  a  State,  Shadrach  Bond  was  elected  its  first  Governor. 
He  was  inaugurated  at  Kaskaskia,  October  6,  1818. 

Governor  Bond  died  at  his  residence  near  Kaskaskia,  April  12,  1832.  He  is  buried  at  Chester,  Illinois,  where  the 
State  has  erected  a  modest  monument. 

[47] 


LflU^^  £r&? 


[4S] 


Edward  Coles,  1822-1826. 

Adolphus  F.  Hubbard,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Edward  Coles  was  born  December  15,  1786,  in  Albemarle  County,  Virginia.  He  was  educated  at  Hampton  Sidney 
College  and  William  and  Mary  College. 

He  was  the  private  secretary  of  President  James  Madison,  from  1810  to  1816,  who  in  1816  sent  him  to  Russia  as  a 
special  messenger  on  an  important  diplomatic  mission.  In  1815,  Mr.  Coles  made  a  visit  to  Illinois,  and  another  in  1818. 
He  left  his  Virginia  home  April  1,  1819,  having  been  appointed  Register  of  the  Land  Office  at  Edwardsville,  Illinois. 
He  brought  with  him  a  number  of  slaves  whom  he  had  inherited,  and  came  to  Edwardsville,  Madison  County.  When 
on  the  way  to  Illinois  he  set  his  slaves  free  when  he  reached  free  territory.  This  act  caused  him  endless  embarrassment 
and  annoyance  during  his  subsequent  life  in  Illinois.  In  this  important  office  he  made  many  acquaintances,  and  friends. 
He  was  elected  Governor  of  the  State  in  1822. 

During  his  term  of  office  occurred  the  great  struggle  to  amend  the  Constitution  of  the  State  of  Illinois  and  make  it 
a  slave  State.  This  was  one  of  the  most  momentous  contests  in  the  history  of  the  State.  The  election  to  decide  the 
question  as  to  whether  or  not  a  convention  should  be  held  for  the  purpose  of  amending  the  Constitution  in  order  to 
legalize  slavery  in  Illinois  was  held  August  6,  1824.  The  vote  was  against  the  holding  of  the  convention,  and  to 
Governor  Coles  is  due  in  a  large  measure  the  success  of  the  Anti-Slavery  party,  and  the  credit  for  keeping  Illinois  a  free 
State.  During  the  term  of  office  of  Governor  Coles  a  State  House  was  built  at  Vandalia,  the  new  Capital.  Governor 
Coles  wrote  a  history  of  the  Ordinance  of  1787,  which  was  published  during  his  term  of  office. 

In  1833  he  removed  to  Philadelphia.  On  November  28,  1833,  he  married  Miss  Sally  Logan  Roberts  of  Phila- 
delphia.    He  died  in  that  city  July  7,  1868. 

[491 


C^C^t^G^J^ 


[50] 


Ninian  Edwards,  1826-1830. 

William  Kinney,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Ninian  Edwards,  Territorial  Governor,  1809-1818,  was  born  in  Montgomery  County,  Maryland,  March  17,  1775. 
He  was  educated  by  private  tutors  and  at  Dickinson  College  at  Carlysle,  Pennsylvania.  He  was  sent  by  his  father  in 
1794  to  purchase  and  improve  lands  in  the  new  state  of  Kentucky. 

In  the  years  1796-98,  he  represented  Nelson  County  in  the  Kentucky  legislature;  licensed  to  practice  law  in  1798; 
in  1802,  appointed  Major  in  the  Kentucky  Militia;  1803,  Circuit  Court  Judge.  In  1804  he  was  elected  Judge  of  the 
Court  of  Appeals.  In  1808  elected  Chief  Justice  of  Kentucky.  It  was  while  serving  in  the  last  named  office  that  he 
was  appointed  by  President  Madison,  Governor  of  the  New  Territory  of  Illinois,  April  24,  1809,  and  held  the  office 
until  the  admission  of  the  State  in  1818. 

When  the  first  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Illinois  convened  at  Kaskaskia,  Governor  Edwards  was  elected  to 
the  United  States  Senate  for  the  short  term  of  two  years.  Two  years  later  he  was  elected  for  the  full  term  of  six  years. 
He  resigned  his  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate  in  1824,  to  accept  an  appointment  by  President  Monroe  as  United 
States  Minister  to  Mexico.  In  1826  he  was  elected  Governor  of  the  State  of  Illinois.  His  method  of  campaigning 
differed  from  that  of  the  usual  pioneer  candidate.  He  traveled  over  the  State  attended  by  his  colored  servant,  and  the 
people  whom  it  was  supposed  would  be  driven  away  by  his  aristocratic  appearance  were  really  attracted  to  him  and 
deemed  it  an  honor  to  support  "such  an  elegant  gentleman." 

Edwards  County,  and  Edwardsville,  the  county  seat  of  Madison  County,  were  named  in  his  honor. 

Governor  Edwards  died  of  cholera,  at  Belleville,  July  20,   1833. 

Governor  Edwards  was  married  in  1803,  in  Kentucky,  to  Miss  Elvira  Lane. 

[51] 


^ryu+su  <^^L^n^r/'7l^ 


52  j 


John  Reynolds,  1830-1834. 

Zadoc  Casey,  Lieutenant  Governor. 
William  L.  D.  Ewing,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

John  Reynolds  was  born  in  Montgomery  County,  Pennsylvania,  February  26,  1788.  His  parents  removed  to 
Tennessee  near  the  present  city  of  Knoxville,  and  from  there  to  Illinois  in  1800.  The  boy,  John,  lived  with  his 
parents  in  Southern  Illinois,  until  1809,  and  then  for  two  years  attended  college  near  Knoxville,  Tennessee.  During 
the  War  of  1812  he,  was  a  member  of  a  company  of  Rangers  that  took  part  in  campaigns  against  the  Indians.  This 
service  gave  him  the  nick-name  of  "The  Old  Ranger." 

In  1814  he  opened  a  law  office  at  Cahokia.  On  August  22,  1815,  John  Reynolds  was  appointed  Judge  Advocate 
of  the  Second  Regiment.  He  was  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Illinois,  October  8,  1818,  to  January  19,  1825, 
serving  as  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  from  1822  to  1825.  He  represented  St.  Clair  County  in  the  Fifth  and 
Sixth  General  Assemblies,  1826  to  1830.  He  was  Governor  of  Illinois  December  6,  1830,  to  November  17,  1834. 
Member  of  Congress,  1834-1837;  also  served  in  Congress  1839-43.  He  was  again  elected  a  Representative  from  St. 
Clair  County  in  the  General  Assembly,  serving  from  1846  to  1848,  served  again  as  Representative  from  1852  to  '54,  and 
was  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives.  He  married  in  1817,  Mrs.  Catherine  Dubuque  Manegle,  a  daughter  of 
Julian  Dubuque.     His  second  marriage  occurred  in  May,  1836,  to  Miss  Sarah  Wilson  at  Georgetown,  D.  C. 

Governor  Reynolds  died  at  Belleville,  Illinois,  May  8,  1865. 


[53] 


["•4] 


tV^ts?t^<2^^ 


William  L.  D.  Ewing,  1834. 

William  Lee  Davidson  Ewing  (1834,  15  days)  was  born  in  Paris,  Kentucky,  August  31,  1795.  Came  to  Illinois 
about  the  time  it  became  a  State.  He  was  United  States  Receiver  of  Public  Money  at  Vandalia  in  1823.  Was  a  general 
of  Militia  in  the  Black  Hawk  War.  He  was  a  member  of  the  General  Assembly  and  Speaker  of  the  House  during  the 
term  of  the  Seventh  General  Assembly,  December  6,  1830,  to  December  3,  1832.  William  L.  D.  Ewing  has  the 
distinction  of  holding  the  office  of  Governor  of  Illinois  for  a  shorter  time  than  any  other  Governor  of  the  State.  Mr. 
Ewing  was  a  member  of  the  Illinois  State  Senate  in  1833  and  1834.  Lieutenant  Governor  Zadoc  Casey  resigned  in 
1833  to  take  a  seat  in  Congress,  and  Mr.  Ewing  was  elected  President  of  the  Senate.  When  Governor  Reynolds 
resigned  on  November  17,  1834,  by  virtue  of  the  office  which  he  then  held,  Mr.  Ewing  became  the  Governor  of  the 
State  and  held  the  office  until  the  inauguration  of  Governor  Duncan  on  December  3,  1834.  He  was  elected  United 
States  Senator  on  December  29,  1835,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  Elias  Kent  Kane.  Failing  of  re-election 
to  the  Senatorship  in  1837,  he  was  returned  to  the  Illinois  House  of  Representatives  from  his  own  district  in  1838,  as  he 
was  again  in  1840,  at  each  session  being  chosen  Speaker  over  Abraham  Lincoln,  who  was  the  Whig  candidate.  Dropping 
out  of  the  Legislature  at  the  close  of  his  term,  we  find  him  at  the  beginning  of  the  next  session  (December,  1842)  in 
his  old  place  as  Clerk  of  the  House  of  Representatives  but,  before  the  close  of  the  session,  March,  1843,  he  was  appointed 
Auditor  of  Public  Accounts  as  successor  to  James  Shields,  who  had  resigned.  While  serving  as  Auditor,  Mr.  Ewing  died 
at  Springfield,  March  25,  1846. 


[55] 


4&^4^L^ 


[56] 


Joseph  Duncan,  1834-1838. 

Alexander  M.  Jenkins,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Joseph  Duncan,  Governor  of  Illinois,  1834-1838,  was  born  at  Paris,  Kentucky,  February  22,  1794.  Emigrated  to 
Illinois  in  1818,  having  previously  served  with  distinction  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  been  presented  with  a  sword  by 
vote  of  Congress,  for  gallant  conduct  in  the  defense  of  Fort  Stephenson.  He  was  commissioned  Major-General  of 
Illinois  Militia  in  1823,  and  elected  State  Senator  from  Jackson  County  in  1824.  He  served  in  the  lower  House  of 
Congress  from  1827  to  1834,  when  he  resigned  his  seat,  and  was  elected  Governor  of  Illinois  the  same  year.  He  was 
much  interested  in  the  cause  of  education  and  was  the  author  of  the  first  free  school  law  of  Illinois,  adopted  in  1825. 
He  was  the  Whig  candidate  for  Governor  in   1842,  when  he  met  his  first  political  defeat. 

The  removal  of  the  State  Capital  to  Springfield  occurred  during  his  administration  and  much  of  the  legislation 
for  the  famous  internal  improvement  scheme  was  passed  during  his  term  as  Governor. 

Governor  Duncan  was  married  in  Washington,  D.  C,  on  May  13,  1828,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Caldwell  Smith  of 
New  York  City,  whose  acquaintance  he  made  when  both  were  guests  at  a  dinner  given  to  a  few  friends  by  President 
John  Quincy  Adams.     He  died  in  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  January  15,  1844. 


[571 


gz^\^C<sy^—^' 


[38] 


Thomas  Carlin,  1838-1842. 

Stillson  H.  Anderson,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Thomas  Carlin  was  born  in  Fayette  County,  Kentucky,  July  18,  1789.  In  1793  he  moved  with  his  parents  to 
Shelby  County,  Kentucky.  In  1803  the  family  emigrated  to  St.  Louis  County,  Missouri,  where  the  father  died,  leaving 
a  widow  and  seven  children.  Thomas  being  the  oldest,  his  educational  advantages  were  meagre,  but  he  was  a  student 
and  by  earnest  effort  acquired  a  fair  education.  In  1812,  he  removed  to  Illinois;  June  3,  1812,  he  enlisted  in  the 
United  States  Army  as  a  private;  in  the  campaign  to  Lake  Peoria  under  Governor  Edwards.  In  1813,  he  served  under 
General  Howard  in  the  district  between  the  Illinois  and  Mississippi  Rivers.  In  1818  he  removed  to  Green  County. 
Carrollton,  the  county  seat,  was  laid  out  on  his  land.  Carlinville,  the  county  seat  of  Macoupin  County,  was  named  in 
his  honor.  From  1824—1832  he  was  a  State  Senator.  In  1832  he  was  a  Captain  of  Spies  during  the  Black  Hawk  War; 
1834—38  was  Register  of  land  office  at  Quincy.  He  was  elected  Governor  of  Illinois  in  1838  and  served  in  that  high 
office  from  December  7,  1838,  to  December  8,  1842.  From  1849-51  he  was  a  Representative  from  Greene  County  in 
the  General  Assembly  of  the  State.  The  Supreme  Court  of  the  State  was  reorganized  during  his  administration. 
Thomas  Carlin  was  married  at  Edwardsville  Junction  in  1814  to  Miss  Rebecca  Huitt.  He  died  at  Carrollton,  Illinois, 
February  14,  1852.     The  State  of  Illinois  has  erected  a  monument  to  his  memory  at  Carrollton. 


[59] 


ff-r~z 


/ 


[60] 


Thomas  Ford,  1842-1846. 

John  Moore,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Thomas  Ford  was  born  at  Uniontown,  Pennsylvania,  December  5,  1800.  He  accompanied  his  mother  (then  a 
widow)  to  Missouri  in  1804.  The  family  soon  after  located  in  Monroe  County,  Illinois.  Largely  through  the  efforts 
and  aid  of  his  half-brother,  George  Forquer,  he  was  enabled  to  attend  Transylvania  University,  at  Lexington,  Kentucky, 
and  he  also  obtained  a  professional  education.  He  studied  law  in  the  office  of  Daniel  P.  Cook,  and  became  a  successful 
lawyer.  Early  in  life  he  entered  the  field  of  politics.  He  served  as  a  Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court  for  the  Northern  part 
of  the  State  from  1835  to  1837,  and  was  again  commissioned  a  Circuit  Judge  for  the  Galena  Circuit  in  1839;  in  1841 
was  elevated  to  the  bench  of  the  State  Supreme  Court,  but  resigned  the  following  year  to  accept  the  nomination  for 
Governor.  It  was  during  his  administration,  that  the  Mormon  agitation  in  Illinois  occurred,  and  also  the  beginning 
of  the  Mexican  War.  Governor  Ford  was  the  author  of  a  valuable  history  of  Illinois,  1818-1847,  published  in  1854, 
after  his  death. 

Ford  County,  established  February   17,  1859,  was  named  in  his  honor. 

Governor  Ford  was  married  at  Edwardsville,  Illinois,  June  12,  1828,  to  Miss  Frances  Hambaugh.  His  death 
occurred  at  Peoria,  Illinois,  November  3,    1850. 

The  State  of  Illinois  has  erected  a  monument  to  his  memory  in  Springdale  Cemetery,  Peoria,  Illinois. 


[61] 


r ^y9~c*~&4£' 


[62] 


Augustus  C.  French,  1846-1853. 

Joseph  B.  Wells,  Lieutenant  Governor. 
William   McMurtry,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Augustus  C.  French  was  born  at  Hill,  Merrimack  Count)",  N.  H.,  August  2,  1808.  He  attended  Dartmouth 
College  for  a  time  but  did  not  graduate.  In  1831  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  emigrated  to  Albion,  Illinois,  and 
in  1832  he  removed  to  Paris,  Illinois,  where  he  built  up  a  good  law  practice.  He  was  a  representative  in  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  State,  1836 — 10.  In  1832  he  was  appointed  receiver  of  public  money  at  Palestine.  In  1844  he  was 
presidential  elector  on  the  Democratic  ticket.  In  1846  he  was  elected  Governor  of  Illinois  and  served  from  December 
9,  1846,  to  January  10,  1853.  He  was  appointed  bank  commissioner  by  Governor  Matteson  in  1858.  He  was  a 
candidate  for  the  office  of  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  but  was  defeated.  He  became  professor  of  law  in 
McKendree  College,  Lebanon,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1862.  Governor  French  was 
re-elected  under  the  Constitution  of  1848,  and  was  the  first  Governor  of  Illinois  to  be  re-elected. 

Governor  French  married  Miss  Lucy  M.  South  worth  about  1842. 

The  Mexican  War  had  begun  in  the  administration  of  Governor  Ford,  but  French  was  Governor  during  most  of 
the  period  of  the  War.  During  the  administration  of  Governor  French  the  new  Constitution  was  framed  which  was 
ratified  by  the  people  in  1848. 

Governor  French  died  at  Lebanon,   Illinois,  September  4,   1864. 


[fi:i] 


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[04] 


Joel  Aldrich  Matteson,  1853-1857. 

GuSTAVUS  Koerxer,  Lieutenant   Governor. 

Joel  Aldrich  Matteson  was  born  at  Watertown,  N.  Y.,  August  8,  1808.  In  early  life  he  was  employed  in  a  store  in 
Prescott,  Ontario,  and  later  taught  school  and  engaged  in  business  in  Brownsville,  N.  Y.  In  1831  he  went  South  and 
began  work  as  foreman  on  the  first  railroad  in  South  Carolina.  In  1834  he  removed  to  Illinois  where  he  became  a 
contractor  on  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal.  He  engaged  in  manufacturing  at  Joliet.  From  1842-53  he  was  a 
State  Senator.  In  1855  he  was  defeated  by  Lyman  Trumbull  for  the  United  States  Senatorship.  He  traveled 
extensively  in  Europe  after  retiring  from  office.  He  resided  in  later  life  in  Chicago,  and  he  was  lessee  and  president 
of  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad. 

The  Bloomington  Convention  of  1856,  Kansas-Nebraska  agitation,  and  the  reduction  of  the  State  debt,  were 
some  of  the  important  events  which  occurred  during  his  administration. 

Governor  Matteson  was  married  at  Watertown,  N.  Y.,  October  7,  1832,  to  Miss  Mary  Fish.  His  death 
occurred  in  Chicago,  January  31,   1873. 


ro.-.i 


[e«] 


William  H.  Bissell,  1857-1860. 

John  Wood,  Lieutenant  Gore/nor. 

William  H.  Bissell,  the  first  Republican  Governor  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  was  born  near  Painted  Post,  Steuben 
County,  N.  Y.,  April  25,  1811.  He  received  a  fair  education,  graduated  at  Jefferson  Medical  College,  Philadelphia 
in  1835.  He  then  removed  to  Monroe  Count}',  Illinois,  where  he  practiced  his  profession  as  a  physician.  In  1840-42 
he  was  a  representative  in  the  General  Assembly.  He  studied  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  practiced  at  Belle- 
ville. In  1844  was  elected  prosecuting  attorney  of  St.  Clair  County.  From  June  20,  1846,  to  June  18,  1847,  he 
served  as  Colonel  of  the  Second  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry  in  the  War  with  Mexico  and  served  with  distinction, 
especially  at  Buena  Vista.  From  1848-53  he  represented  the  First  Illinois  District  in  Congress  and  was  a  conspicuous 
and  valuable  member.  He  was  challenged  by  Jefferson  Davis  to  fight  a  duel  on  account  of  the  fact  that  Mr.  Bissell  in 
a  speech  in  Congress  resented  the  attitude  of  Southern  members  who  claimed  for  Southern  troops  the  entire  credit  for 
the  successes  of  the  Mexican  War.  The  duel  was  prevented  by  the  intervention  of  President  Taylor,  the  father-in-law 
of  Jefferson  Davis.  On  May  29,  1856,  Mr.  Bissell  was  nominated  for  Governor  of  Illinois  by  the  coalition  of  the 
Whig  party  with  the  Anti-Nebraska  Democrats.  This  was  the  first  Republican  State  Convention  in  Illinois.  He  was 
elected  and  was  inaugurated  January  12,  1857,  and  continued  in  office  until  his  death,  March  18,  1860.  Governor 
Bissell  is  the  only  governor  who  died  in  office.  He  is  buried  in  Oak  Ridge  Cemetery,  Springfield,  where  the  State  has 
erected  a  monument  to  his  memory. 

Governor  Bissell  was  married  in  1839  to  Miss  Emily  James.  His  second  wife  was  Elizabeth  Kane,  the  daughter 
of  Elias  Kent  Kane- 


[07] 


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[68] 


John  Wood,  1860-1861. 

Thomas  A.  Marshall,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

John  Wood,  Lieutenant  Governor  and  Governor,  was  born  at  Moravia,  N.  Y.,  December  20,  1798,  his  father 
being  a  Revolutionary  soldier  who  had  served  as  Surgeon  and  Captain  in  the  Army.  At  the  age  of  21  years  young 
Wood  removed  to  Illinois,  settling  in  what  is  now  Adams  County  and  building  the  first  log  cabin  on  the  present  site 
of  Quincy.  He  was  a  member  of  the  upper  house  of  the  Seventeenth  and  Eighteenth  General  Assemblies  of  Illinois, 
and  was  elected  Lieutenant  Governor  in  1856  on  the  ticket  with  Governor  Bissell  and  served  out  the  unexpired  term 
of  the  latter,  who  died  in  office.  In  February,  1861,  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  five  commissioners  from  Illinois  to 
the  "Peace  Conference"  at  Washington,  to  cons'der  methods  for  averting  Civil  War. 

The  following  May  he  was  appointed  Quartermaster  General  for  the  State  by  Governor  Yates  and  assisted  most 
efficiently  in  fitting  out  the  troops  for  the  field.  In  June,  1864,  he  was  commissioned  Colonel  of  the  One  Hundred  and 
Thirty-seventh  Illinois  Volunteers  and  was  mustered  out  of  service  the  following  September. 

Governor  Wood  was  married  at  Quincy,  Illinois,  January  25,  1826,  to  Miss  Ann  M.  Streeter.  His  second  marriage 
to  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Holmes  occurred  June  6,  1865. 

He  died  at  Quincy,  Illinois,  June  11,  1880. 

The  citizens  of  Quincy  erected  a  monument  to  his  memory  which  was  dedicated  July  4,  1883. 


[00] 


<C 


[70] 


Richard  Yates,  1861-1865. 

Francis  A.  Hoffman,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Richard  Yates,  Civil  War  Governor  of  Illinois,  was  born  in  Warsaw,  Kentucky,  January  18,  1815.  In  1831  he 
accompanied  his  father  to  Illinois,  the  family  settling  first  at  Springfield  and  later  at  Berlin,  Sangamon  County.  He 
soon  after  entered  Illinois  College  from  which  he  graduated  in  1835,  and  subsequently  read  law  with  Col.  John  J. 
Hardin  at  Jacksonville,  which  thereafter  was  his  home.  On  July  11,  1839,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Catherine  Geers 
of  Jacksonville. 

In  1842  he  was  elected  Representative  in  the  Illinois  General  Assembly  from  Morgan  County,  and  was  re-elected 
in  1844,  and  again  in  1848.  In  1850  he  was  candidate  for  Congress  from  the  Seventh  Illinois  District  and  elected  over 
Major  Thomas  L.  Harris,  the  previous  incumbent,  being  the  only  Whig  Representative  in  the  Thirty-second  Congress 
from  Illinois.  Two  years  later  he  was  re-elected  over  John  Calhoun,  but  was  defeated  in  1854,  by  his  old  opponent, 
Harris.  He  was  one  of  the  most  vigorous  opponents  of  the  Kansas-Nebraska  Bill  in  the  Thirty-third  Congress,  and  an 
early  and  earnest  supporter  of  the  movement  for  the  organization  of  a  new  political  party  to  resist  the  further  extension 
of  slavery.     He  was  a  member  of  the  Bloomington  Convention  of  1856  and  was  one  of  the  vice-presidents  of  that  body. 

In  1860  he  was  elected  Governor  of  Illinois  on  the  ticket  headed  by  Abraham  Lincoln  for  the  presidency,  and, 
by  his  energetic  support  of  the  National  Administration  in  the  measures  for  the  suppression  of  the  Rebellion,  won  the 
sobriquet  of  "the  Illinois  War  Governor."  In  1865  he  was  elected  United  States  Senator,  serving  until  1871.  He 
died  suddenly  in  St.  Louis,  November  27,  1873. 

He  is  buried  in  Diamond  Grove  Cemetery,  Jacksonville,  111. 


[Tl] 


(Rjca^ 


[72] 


Richard  J.  Oglesby,  1865-1869;  January  13,  1 87 3-J anuary  23,  1873; 

1885-1889. 

William  Bross,  Lieutenant  Governor,   1865-1869. 

John  L.  Beveridge,  Lieutenant  Governor,  January,  1873. 

John  C.  Smith,  Lieutenant  Governor,   1885-1889. 

Richard  J.  Oglesby  was  born  in  Oldham  County,  Kentucky,  July  25,  1824.  He  was  left  an  orphan  at  the  age  of 
eight  years;  in  1836  he  accompanied  his  uncle  to  Decatur,  Illinois,  where  until  1844,  he  worked  at  farming,  carpentering 
and  rope  making.  In  1845  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  began  practice  at  Sullivan,  Moultrie  County.  In  1846  he 
was  commissioned  a  lieutenant  in  the  Fourth  Regiment  Illinois  Volunteers  (Col.  E.  D.  Baker's  Regiment)  and  served 
through  the  Mexican  War,  taking  part  in  the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz  and  the  battle  of  Cerro  Gordo.  In  1849  he  gradu- 
ated from  the  Louisville  Law  School.  In  1859,  Richard  J.  Oglesby  married  Miss  Anna  E.  White  of  Decatur.  In 
1860  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate,  but  early  in  1861  he  resigned  his  seat  to  become  the  colonel  of  the  Eighth  Illinois 
Volunteers.  Through  gallantry,  notably  at  Forts  Henry  and  Donelson  and  at  Corinth,  he  rose  to  the  rank  of  Major- 
General.  He  was  severely  wounded  in  the  battle  of  Corinth.  He  resigned  his  commission  in  the  Army  on  account  of 
disability  in  May,  1864,  and  the  following  November  was  elected  Governor  of  the  State.  In  1872,  he  was  again 
elected  Governor,  but,  two  weeks  after  his  inauguration,  in  January,  1873,  resigned  to  accept  a  seat  in  the  United 
States  Senate,  to  which  he  was  elected  by  the  Legislature  of  1873.  In  1884  he  was  elected  Governor  for  the  third 
time,  being  the  only  man  in  the  history  of  the  State  who  so  far  has  thus  been  honored. 

After  the  expiration  of  his  last  term  as  Governor  he  retired  to  his  home  at  Elkhart,  Logan  County,  where  he  devoted 
his  attention  to  his  private  affairs  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  his  family  and  friends. 

Governor  Oglesby  was  married  to  Mrs.  Emma  Gillette  Keays,  at  Elkhart,  Illinois,  November  18,  1873. 

He  died  at  his  home  in  Elkhart,  April  24,  1899,  and  is  buried  in  the  cemetery  at  that  place. 

Important  events  which  occurred  during  the  first  administration  of  Governor  Oglesby  were  the  close  of  the  Civil 
War  and  the  assassination  of  Abraham  Lincoln. 

[73] 


*-sr 


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r-741 


John  M.  Palmer,  1869-1873. 

John  Dougherty,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

John  McAuley  Palmer  was  born  at  Eagle  Creek,  Scott  County,  Kentucky,  September  13,  1817.  He  came  with 
his  parents  to  Madison  County,  Illinois,  in  1831.  He  entered  Shurtleff  College  in  1835.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar 
in  1839.  In  1843  he  was  elected  Probate  Judge  of  Macoupin  County.  Mr.  Palmer  was  married  December  20,  1842, 
to  Miss  Malinda  A.  Neely,  at  Carlinville,  Illinois.  Mr.  Palmer  was  a  member  of  the  State  Constitutional  Convention 
of  1847.  He  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate  in  1852  to  fill  a  vacancy  and  was  re-elected  in  1854.  He  was  Chairman 
of  the  Convention  held  in  Bloomington,  May  29,  1856,  the  first  Republican  State  Convention  in  Illinois.  Mr.  Palmer 
was  a  delegate  from  Illinois  to  the  Peace  Convention  which  met  in  Baltimore,  February  4,  1861.  On  the  15th  of  May, 
1861,  Mr.  Palmer  took  command  as  Colonel  of  the  14th  Illinois  Volunteer  Regiment.  He  was  promoted  to  Brigadier 
General,  December  21,  1861.  He  was  appointed  Major  General  November  29,  1863.  Placed  in  command  of  the  14th 
Army  Corps,  succeeding  General  George  H.  Thomas.  General  Palmer  was  appointed  by  Mr.  Lincoln,  Commander  of 
the  Military  Department  of  Kentucky,  February  18,  1865,  and  served  until  April  1,  1866,  but  remained  in  the  service  of 
the  United  States  until  September  1,  1866. 

In  1868,  General  Palmer  was  elected  Governor  of  Illinois.  During  his  administration  the  present  Constitution  of 
the  State  was  framed. 

In  1888,  Governor  Palmer  was  nominated  for  Governor  by  the  Democratic  party.  In  1891  he  was  elected  to  the 
United  States  Senate.  In  1896  he  was  nominated  by  the  National  Democratic  or  Sound  Money  Democratic  party  for 
President  of  the  United  States. 

On  April  4,  1888,  General  Palmer  married  Mrs.  Hannah  Lamb  Kimball  of  Springfield. 

General  Palmer  edited  a  history  of  the  Bench  and  Bar  of  Illinois,  and  late  in  his  life  he  wrote  his  personal 
reminiscences  which  were  published  under  the  title  of  Personal  Recollections  of  John  M.  Palmer,  The  Story  of  an 
Earnest  Life. 

General  Palmer  died  at  his  home  in  Springfield,  September  25,  1900.     He  is  buried  at  Carlinville. 

[75] 


C7?~&iisuoCi  V  d-^ZtO*~i^Af 


[76] 


John  Lowrie  Beveridge,  1873-1877. 

John  Early,  President  of  the  Senate  and  Acting  Lieutenant  Governor. 
Archibald  A.  Glenn,  President  of  the  Senate  and  Acting  Lieutenant  Governor. 

John  Lowrie  Beveridge  succeeded  to  the  office  of  Governor  by  the  resignation  of  Richard  J.  Oglesby,  January,  1873. 

John  L.  Beveridge  was  born  in  Greenwich,  Washington  County,  New  York,  July  6,  1824.  He  came  to  Illinois 
in  1842,  and,  after  spending  some  two  years  in  Granville  Academy  and  Rock  River  Seminary,  went  to  Tennessee,  where 
he  engaged  in  teaching,  meanwhile  studying  law.  Having  been  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Tennessee,  he  returned  to  Illinois 
in  1851,  first  locating  at  Sycamore,  but  three  years  later  established  himself  in  Chicago.  During  the  first  year  of  the 
war  he  assisted  in  raising  the  Eighth  Regiment  Illinois  Cavalry,  and  was  commissioned  first  as  Captain  and  later,  Major. 
Two  years  later  became  Colonel  of  the  Seventeenth  Cavalry,  which  he  commanded  to  the  close  of  the  war,  being 
mustered  out  with  the  rank  of  brevet  Brigadier  General.  After  the  war  he  held  the  office  of  sheriff  of  Cook  County 
four  years;  in  1870  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate,  and,  in  the  following  year,  Congressman-at-Large  to  succeed 
General  John  A.  Logan,  who  had  been  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate.  Colonel  Beveridge  resigned  this  office  in 
January,  1873,  having  been  elected  Lieutenant  Governor  and  a  few  weeks  later  succeeded  to  the  Governorship  by  the 
election  of  Governor  Oglesby  to  the  United  States  Senate.  In  1881  he  was  appointed  by  President  Arthur,  Assistant 
United  States  Treasurer  at  Chicago,  serving  until  after  the  first  election  of  Grover  Cleveland. 

John  Lowrie  Beveridge  was  married  in  1848  to  Miss  Helen  Judson.  His  death  occurred  in  Hollywood,  now  a 
part  of  Los  Angeles,  California,  May  3,  1910. 

He  is  buried  in  Rosehill  Cemetery,  Chicago. 


[77] 


[78] 


Shelby  Moore  Cullom,  1877-1883. 

Andrew   Shuman,   Lieutenant   Governor. 
John  M.  Hamilton,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Shelby  Moore  Cullom  was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Kentucky,  November  22,  1829.  His  parents  removed  to 
Tazewell  County,  Illinois,  in  1830,  where  his  father  became  a  member  of  the  Legislature,  and  attained  prominence. 

He  attended  Rock  River  Seminary  at  Mount  Morris,  teaching  school  a  part  of  the  time  to  earn  the  money  to 
continue  his  studies.  He  went  to  Springfield  in  1853  to  enter  upon  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Stuart  &  Edwards, 
being  admitted  to  the  bar  two  years  afterwards.  He  was  almost  immediately  elected  City  Attorney  of  Springfield  and 
in  1856  was  elected  to  the  Twentieth  General  Assembly  from  Sangamon  County.  He  was  again  elected  in  1860.  In 
1861  he  was  chosen  Speaker  of  the  House.  In  1862  he  was  appointed  by  President  Lincoln  a  member  of  the  War 
Claims  Commission  at  Cairo.  Two  years  later  (1864)  he  was  a  candidate  for  Congress,  defeating  his  former  pre- 
ceptor, Hon.  John  T.  Stuart.  He  was  re-elected  in  1866,  and  again  in  1868,  the  latter  year  over  Benjamin  S.  Edwards. 
He  was  elected  to  the  Illinois  House  of  Representatives  in  1872,  and  in  1874.  He  was  elected  Speaker  in  1873,  and 
1875.  In  1876  was  elected  Governor,  was  re-elected  in  1880,  and  in  1883  he  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate 
and  served  as  Senator  continuously  until   1913. 

After  his  term  in  the  Senate  expired  he  was  appointed  Chairman  of  the  Lincoln  Memorial  Building  Commission. 
Senator  Cullom  was  married  in  December,  1855,  to  Miss  Hannah  Fisher;  his  second  marriage  to  Miss  Julia  Fisher 
occurred  May  5,  1863.  Governor  Cullom  wrote  his  personal  recollections  which  were  published  in  book  form  in  1911, 
under  the  title  of  "Fifty  Years  of  Public  Service." 

Governor  Cullom  died  in  Washington,  January  28,   1914. 

He  is  buried  in  Oak  Ridge  Cemetery,  Springfield,  111. 

[79] 


tfajxsCkrzZj 


[80] 


John  Marshall  Hamilton,  1883-1885. 

William  J.   Campbell,  President   of  the  Senate  and  Acting  Lieutenant   Governor. 

John  Marshall  Hamilton  was  born  in  Union  County,  Ohio,  May  28,  1847.  When  seven  years  of  age,  was  brought 
to  Illinois  by  his  father,  who  settled  on  a  farm  in  Marshall  Count}'.  In  1864  (at  the  age  of  17)  he  enlisted  in  the 
One  Hundred  and  Forty-first  Illinois  Volunteers — a  100-day  regiment.  After  being  mustered  out,  he  matriculated  at 
the  Wesleyan  (Illinois)  University  at  Bloomington.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1870,  and  was  a  successful 
practitioner. 

In  1876  he  was  elected  State  Senator  from  McLean  County,  and,  in  1880,  Lieutenant  Governor  on  the  ticket 
with  Governor  Shelby  M.  Cullom.  On  February  6,  1883,  he  was  inaugurated  Governor  to  succeed  Governor  Cullom, 
who  had  been  chosen  United  States  Senator. 

In  1884  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  gubernatorial  nomination  before  the  Republican  State  Convention  at  Peoria,  but 
that  body  selected  Ex-Governor  and  Senator,  Richard  J.  Ogle-by  to  head  the  State  ticket. 

Governor  Hamilton  married  in  1871,  Miss  Helen  Williams.  His  death  occurred  in  Chicago,  September  23,  1905. 
He  is  buried  in  Oakwoods  Cemetery,  Chicago. 


[■si  J 


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[82] 


Joseph  W.  Fiier,  1889-1893. 

Lyman  B.  Ray,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Joseph  W.  Fifer  was  born  at  Staunton,  Virginia,  October  28,  1840;  in  1857  he  accompanied  his  father  to  McLean 
County,  Illinois,  and  worked  at  the  manufacture  and  laying  of  brick.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  he  enlisted  as 
a  private  in  the  Thirty-third  Illinois  Infantry,  and  was  dangerously  wounded  at  the  assault  on  Jackson,  Mississippi. 
In  1863,  on  the  healing  of  the  wound,  disregarding  the  advice  of  family  and  friends,  he  rejoined  his  regiment.  At  the 
close  of  the  war,  when  about  25  years  of  age,  he  entered  the  Wesleyan  University  at  Bloomington,  where  by  dint  of 
hard  work  and  frugality,  while  supporting  himself  in  part  by  manual  labor,  he  secured  his  diploma  in  1868.  He  at  once 
began  the  study  of  law,  and,  soon  after  his  admission,  entered  upon  a  practice  which  proved  both  successful  and 
lucrative.  He  was  elected  corporation  counsel  of  Bloomington  in  1871  and  State's  Attorney  for  McLean  County  in 
1872,  holding  the  latter  office,  through  election  until  1880,  when  he  was  chosen  State  Senator,  serving  in  the  Thirty- 
second  and  Thirty-third  General  Assemblies.  In  1888  he  was  nominated  and  elected  Governor  on  the  Republican 
ticket,  but,  in  1892  was  defeated  for  re-election  by  John  P.  Altgeld,  the  Democratic  nominee,  though  running  in 
advance  of  the  National  ticket  and  the  other  candidates  on  the  State  ticket. 

Governor  Fifer  was  married  to  Miss  Gertrude  Lewis,  June   15,   1870. 

He  resides  with  his  family  at  Bloomington. 


[S3] 


4tjL,P '&tjJ*L 


[S4] 


John  Peter  Altgeld,  1893-1897. 

Joseph  B.  Gill,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

John  Peter  Altgeld  was  born  in  Felters  near  Cologne,  Germany,  December  30,  1847,  and  in  boyhood  accompanied 
his  parents  to  America,  the  family  settling  in  Ohio.  At  the  age  of  16  he  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-fourth 
Ohio  Infantry,  serving  until  the  close  of  the  war.  His  legal  education  was  acquired  at  St.  Louis  and  Savannah, 
Missouri,  and  from  1874  to  '78  he  was  prosecuting  attorney  for  Andrew  County  in  that  state. 

In  1878  he  removed  to  Chicago,  where  he  devoted  himself  to  professional  work.  In  1884  he  led  the  Democratic 
forlorn  hope  as  candidate  for  Congress  in  a  strong  Republican  Congressional  District,  and  in  1886  was  elected  to  the 
bench  of  the  Superior  Court  of  Cook  County,  but  resigned  in  August,  1891.  The  Democratic  State  Convention  of  1892 
nominated  him  for  Governor  and  he  was  elected  the  following  November,  being  the  first  foreign-born  citizen  to  hold 
that  office  in  the  history  of  the  State,  and  the  first  Democrat  elected  since  1852.  In  1896  he  was  a  prominent  factor  in 
the  Democratic  National  Convention  which  nominated  William  J.  Bryan  for  President,  and  was  also  a  candidate  for 
re-election  to  the  office  of  Governor,  but  was  defeated  by  John  R.  Tanner,  the  Republican  nominee. 

Governor  Altgeld  was  married  in  Chicago  in  1877  to  Miss  Emma  Ford.  His  death  occurred  in  Joliet,  Illinois, 
March  12,  1902.  He  is  buried  in  Graceland  Cemetery,  Chicago.  The  State  erected  a  monument  to  Governor  Altgeld 
in  Lincoln  Park,  Chicago,  1915. 


[85] 


[S61 


John  R.  Tanner,  1897-1901. 

William  A.  Northcott,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

John  Riley  Tanner  was  born  in  Warrick  County,  Indiana,  April  4,  1844,  and  was  brought  to  Southern  Illinois  in 
boyhood  where  he  grew  up  on  a  farm  in  the  vicinity  of  Carbondale,  enjoying  only  such  educational  advantages  as  were 
afforded  by  the  common  schools;  in  1863  at  the  age  of  19,  he  enlisted  in  the  Ninety-eighth  Illinois  Volunteers,  serving 
until  June,  1865,  when  he  was  transferred  to  the  Sixty-first  and  finally  mustered  out  in  September  following.  All  the 
male  members  of  Governor  Tanner's  family  were  soldiers  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  his  father  dying  in  prison  at 
Columbus,  Mississippi,  one  of  his  brothers  suffering  the  same  fate  from  wounds  at  Nashville,  Tennessee,  and  another 
brother  dying  in  hospital  at  Pine  Bluff,  Arkansas.  On  December  25,  1866,  Mr.  Tanner  married  Miss  Lauretta 
Ingraham,  daughter  of  Barton  Ingraham,  of  Clay  County,  Illinois. 

Returning  from  the  war  Mr.  Tanner  established  himself  in  business  as  a  farmer  in  Clay  County,  later  engaging 
successfully  in  the  milling  and  lumber  business  as  a  partner  of  his  brother.  The  public  positions  held  by  him,  include 
those  of  Sheriff  of  Clay  County  (1870-72),  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  (1872-1876)  and  State  Senator  (1880-83). 
During  the  latter  year  he  received  the  appointment  of  United  States  Marshal  for  the  Southern  District  of  Illinois, 
serving  until  after  the  accession  of  President  Cleveland  in  1885.  In  1886  he  was  elected  State  Treasurer;  in  1891 
was  appointed  by  Governor  Fifer,  a  member  of  the  Railroad  and  Warehouse  Commission,  and  in  1892  received  the 
appointment  of  Assistant  United  States  Treasurer  at  Chicago,  continuing  in  that  office  until  December,  1893.  For 
ten  years  (1874-1884)  he  was  a  member  of  the  Republican  State  Central  Committee,  in  1894,  he  was  chosen  Chairman 
of  the  Committee  and  conducted  the  campaign.  In  1896  he  received  the  nomination  of  his  party  for  Governor  and 
was  elected  over  John  P.  Altgeld,  his  Democratic  opponent. 

Governor  Tanner  was  married  December  30,  1896,  to  Miss  Cora  Edith  English.  He  died  May  23,  1901,  at 
Springfield,  Illinois.     He  is  buried  in  Oak  Ridge  Cemetery. 


[87] 


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[88] 


Richard  Yates,  1901-1905. 

William  A.  Northcott,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Richard  Yates  was  born  in  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  December  12,  1860,  the  son  of  Richard  and  Catherine  Geers 
Yates.  Richard  Yates,  the  elder,  was  elected  Governor  in  November,  1860,  and  his  son  Richard  was  born  December  12, 
between  the  time  of  the  election  and  the  inauguration,  which  was  in  January,  1861.  Richard  Yates,  Jr.,  after  receiving 
his  elementary  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city  at  thirteen  years  of  age,  entered  Whipple  Academy,  the 
preparatory  department  of  Illinois  College,  and  three  years  later  (1876)  was  admitted  to  the  College  proper,  from 
which  he  graduated  as  class  orator  in  1880. 

He  then  took  a  course  in  the  law  department  of  Michigan  University  at  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan,  graduated  there- 
from in  1884,  and  was  immediately  admitted  to  the  bar  in  both  Michigan  and  Illinois  and  soon  thereafter  to  practice 
in  the  Circuit  and  Supreme  Courts  of  the  United  States.  For  four  years  (1885-89)  he  served  as  City  Attorney  for 
the  city  of  Jacksonville;  in  1892  was  the  nominee  on  the  Republican  ticket  for  Congress  for  the  State-at-large,  but 
was  defeated,  though  receiving  a  larger  vote  in  the  State  than  President  Harrison;  in  1894  was  elected  Judge  of 
Morgan  County,  but  resigned  in  1897  to  accept  the  position  of  Collector  of  Internal  Revenue  for  the  Springfield 
District,  continuing  in  this  position  until  after  his  nomination  for  governor  on  the  Republican  ticket  at  Peoria  on 
May  9,  1900,  just  forty  years  to  a  day  after  the  same  honor  had  been  conferred  upon  his  father  at  Decatur  in  May, 
1860.  In  1904  he  was  a  candidate  for  re-nomination  before  the  convention  which  met  at  Springfield  in  May  of  that 
year.  After  a  prolonged  contest  in  the  convention,  Governor  Yates  withdrew  and  Charles  S.  Deneen  was  nominated. 
On  his  retirement  from  the  governorship  in  January,  1904,  Governor  Yates  took  up  his  residence  in  Springfield. 

Richard  Yates  was  appointed  by  Governor  Dunne  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Public  Utilities. 

He  was  married  to  Miss  Helen  Wadsworth  in  Jacksonville,  October  28,  1! 


[89] 


[90] 


Charles  Samuel  Deneen,  1905-1913, 

Lawrence  Y.  Sherman,  Lieutenant  Governor. 
John  G.  Oglesby,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Charles  S.  Deneen  was  born  in  Edwardsville,  Illinois,  May  4,  1863.  He  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  oldest 
families  of  Illinois.  Governor  Deneen  received  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Lebanon  and  graduated  from 
McKendree  College  in  1882.  He  taught  school  in  Jasper  and  Madison  Counties  during  which  time  he  studied  law. 
In  1885  he  went  to  Chicago  and  completed  his  legal  studies  in  the  Union  College  of  Law.  He  taught  for  a  time  in 
the  public  night  schools  of  Chicago. 

He  early  became  interested  in  local  politics  in  Chicago  and  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  prosecuting  attorney  of 
Cook  County.  In  conducting  the  duties  of  this  office  Mr.  Deneen  achieved  a  high  reputation  for  ability  and  sound 
judgment.  In  1893  he  was  elected  to  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State.  In  1904  he  was  nominated  for  Governor 
of  the  State  by  the  Republican  party  after  a  prolonged  contest  in  the  State  Convention,  memorable  in  the  annals  of 
the  Republican  party  as  the  "Deadlock  Convention."  He  was  elected  and  was  inaugurated  in  January,  1905.  He 
was  re-elected  in  1908. 

During  Governor  Deneen's  administration  much  important  and  constructive  legislation  was  enacted,  among  which 
may  be  mentioned  the  Direct  Primary  Law,  Municipal  Courts  for  Chicago,  the  creation  of  a  State  Highway  Commis- 
sion and  many  other  measures  of  great  importance. 

Mr.  Deneen  married  Miss  Bina  Day  Maloney,  of  Mt.  Carroll,  Illinois,  May  10,  1891. 


[91] 


[92] 


Edward  Fitzsimmons  Dunne,  1913-1917, 

Barratt  O'Hara,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Edward  F.  Dunne  was  born  at  Waterville,  Connecticut,  October  12,  1853.  He  was  one  year  old  when  his 
parents  removed  to  Peoria,  Illinois,  where  his  father  attained  political  and  business  prominence. 

His  education  was  obtained  in  the  public  schools  of  Peoria  and  at  Trinity  College,  University  of  Dublin,  where 
he  reached  the  position  of  honor  man  in  his  class,  but  graduation  was  denied  him  by  his  father's  financial  reverses 
which  recalled  him  to  Peoria. 

There  he  worked  for  a  year  in  his  father's  mill,  meanwhile  reading  law.  In  1876  he  began  a  systematic  course 
in  law  in  Chicago  and  two  years  later  was  admitted  to  the  bar. 

For  fifteen  years  he  devoted  himself  to  an  ardent  practice  of  his  profession.  He  was  associated  during  this  period 
with  many  distinguished  men,  among  them  Judge  Scates  and  Congressman  Hynes. 

In  1892  he  was  elected  to  fill  a  vacancy  on  the  Circuit  bench  of  Cook  County,  and  in  1897  was  re-elected  to  the 
same  office  and  served  until  1905.     In  that  year  he  was  elected  Mayor  of  Chicago,  serving  from  1905  to  1907. 

His  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  J.  Kelly  of  Chicago  took  place  August  16,   1881. 

Governor  Dunne  was  nominated  for  Governor  of  Illinois  by  the  Democratic  party  in  1912  and  was  elected  in 
November  of  that  year. 

Among  the  most  important  measures  adopted  during  Governor  Dunne's  administration  were  the  Deep  Waterway 
Bill  and  the  Woman's  Suffrage  Law. 


[93] 


[94] 


Frank  Orren  Lowden,  1917-1921. 

John  G.  Oglesby,  Lieutenant  Governor. 

Frank  Orren  Lowden  was  born  in  Sunrise  City,  Minnesota,  January  26,  1861.  When  he  was  seven  years  old  his 
father  removed  to  Point  Pleasant,  Hardin  County,  Iowa,  where  he  purchased  a  farm.  The  son  worked  on  the  farm 
in  the  summer,  and  attended  school  during  the  winter.  At  fifteen  years  of  age  he  began  to  teach  country  schools  and 
taught  at  Rough  Woods  and  other  places  in  Hardin  County,   Iowa. 

Frank  O.  Lowden  took  a  partial  course  at  the  Iowa  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College  at  Ames,  Iowa.  At  the 
age  of  twenty  he  entered  the  freshman  class  of  the  State  University  at  Iowa  City,  Iowa.  Although  obliged  to  remain 
away  from  the  University  during  the  Junior  year,  he  returned  at  the  beginning  of  the  Senior  term  and  graduated  as 
valedictorian  in  June,  1885.  He  became  professor  of  Latin  and  Mathematics  in  Burlington  High  School,  and  taught 
one  year.     He  removed  to  Chicago,  where  he  obtained  a  position  in  the  law  office  of  Dexter,  Herrick  &  Allen. 

In  September,  1886,  he  entered  the  Union  College  of  Law,  now  the  Northwestern  University  Law  School  at 
Chicago.     He  was  graduated  in  June,  1887,  and  actively  practiced  law  until  1902. 

Governor  Lowden  was  Lieutenant  Colonel,  First  Infantry,  Illinois  National  Guard,  1898.  Becoming  active  in 
politics,  he  was  a  candidate  for  Governor,  being  one  of  the  seven  candidates  in  the  famous  deadlock  convention  of  1904. 
Colonel  Lowden  was  elected  to  Congress  as  a  successor  to  Robert  Roberts  Hitt  to  fill  out  the  unexpired  term  in  the 
Fifty-ninth  Congress.     He  served  two  full  terms  and  voluntarily  retired. 

In  November,  1916,  Mr.  Lowden  was  elected  Governor,  and  was  inaugurated  January  8,  1917. 

Much  important  legislation  was  enacted  during  his  administration  among  which  was  the  Administrative  Code, 
which  provided  for  the  consolidation  of  one  hundred  State  Boards  and  Departments  and  the  Sixty  Million  Dollar  Hard 
Road   Bond  issue  to  build  4,800  miles  of  hard  surfaced  roads. 

Governor  Lowden  was  married  April  29,  1896,  in  Chicago,  to  Miss  Florence  Pullman,  daughter  of  George  M. 
Pullman. 

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[96] 


Len  Small,  1921- 

Fred  E.   Sterling,  Lieutenant   Governor. 

Len  Small  was  born  on  a  farm  near  Kankakee,  June  16,  1862,  the  son  of  Dr.  A.  L.  and  Calista  Currier  Small. 
He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools,  State  Normal,  and  business  college.  He  was  elected  Supervisor  of  Kankakee 
County  in  1895  and  the  following  year  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court.  He  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  the  Kankakee  State  Hospital  by  Gov.  John  R.  Tanner  and  for  eight  years  wTas  President  of  that  Board. 
He  served  one  term  as  State  Senator,  and  in  1904  was  elected  State  Treasurer,  being  again  elected  to  that  office  in 
1916.  At  the  close  of  his  term  he  returned  to  the  State,  in  interest  earned  on  State  funds,  the  greatest  amount  ever 
returned  to  the  State  Treasury  by  any  State  Treasurer  up  to  that  time.  He  was  appointed  by  President  Taft  as  Assist- 
ant United  States  Treasurer,  in  charge  of  the  Sub-Treasury  at  Chicago.  Governor  Small  is  President  of  the  First 
Trust  &  Savings  Bank  of  Kankakee.  He  was  married  in  1885  to  Ida  Moore,  who  died  June  26,  1922.  He  has  three 
children,  Budd  L.,  Leslie  C,  and  Mrs.  A.  E.  Inglesh. 

The  outstanding  achievement  of  his  administration  was  the  building  of  4,500  miles  of  hard  surfaced  roads  and  the 
adoption  by  the  people  of  the  100  million  dollar  bond  issue  for  5,000  more  miles  of  hard  roads. 

Len  Small  was  elected  as  a  Republican  in  1920  and   in  1924  was  re-elected  as  Governor  of  Illinois. 


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Chronological  Outline  of  Illinois  History. 

Indian  Tribes — Seven  different  Indian  nations  all  belonging  to  the  Algonquin  family,  occupied  the  Illinois 
country  when  it  was  first  explored.  In  the  southwest  were  the  Shawnees,  who  came  from  Georgia.  North  of  them 
and  extending  to  the  Great  Lakes  were  the  Miami.  West  of  the  Miami  were  the  fierce  Kickapoos,  who  occupied  the 
lands  along  the  Vermilion  and  Sangamon  Rivers.  At  the  headwaters  of  the  Kankakee  and  Illinois  Rivers  were  the 
Potawatomi.  In  the  northwest  at  an  early  date  were  the  Winnebagos,  later  driven  farther  north.  On  the  Rock 
River  were  the  Sacs  and  Foxes.  In  Central  Illinois  were  the  Illini,  a  powerful  confederation  composed  of  the  Kaskaskias, 
Tamaroas,  Cahokias,  Peorias  and  Mitchigami. 

Exploration — Louis  Joliet,  fur  trader,  and  Father  Jacques  Marquette,  a  Jesuit  missionary,  reached  the  Illinois 
Country  in  their  exploration  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  in  1673.  Their  explorations  were  followed  by  an  expedition  by 
Robert  Cavalier  Sieur  de  la,  Salle,  who  undertook  to  extend  the  French  empire  in  America  into  the  southwest  and  to 
explore  the  Mississippi,  his  expedition  beginning  in  1679.  The  following  year  he  established  Fort  Creve  Coeur  on  the 
Illinois.     He  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  naming  all  of  the  region  watered  by  it  Louisiana. 

The  French  occupation  continued  until  1765.  In  1682  Fort  St.  Louis-of-the-Rock  was  built  by  LaSalle.  In 
1700  Cahokia  Mission  was  established  near  the  present  site  of  East  St.  Louis.  A  few  months  later  Kaskaskia  Mission 
was  established  near  the  present  site  of  the  city  of  Utica  by  Father  Marquette  and  the  Kaskaskia  Indians  were  removed 
to  the  site  known  as  Kaskaskia,  which  later  became  the  principal  city  of  the  Illinois  country,  the  territorial  capital  and 
the  first  State  capital.     In  1720  the  first  Fort  Chartres  was  built. 

British  Occupation' — 1765-1778. — The  treaty  of  peace  by  which  the  Illinois  country  was  ceded  to  Great  Britain 
was  signed  February  10,  1763,  but  it  was  not  until  October  10,  1765,  that  Captain  Stirling  arrived  at  Fort  Chartres 
to  haul  down  the  lilies  of  France  and  float  the  British  flag.  The  Illinois  country  became  an  English  colony,  part  of 
the  Province  of  Quebec,  under  George  III.  A  small  English  garrison  was  established  at  Fort  Chartres,  and  later  when 
the  Mississippi  washed  away  one  side  of  the  fort,  the  troops  were  moved  to  Kaskaskia,  where  they  established  Fort  Gage. 

A  County  of  Virginia — 1778-1787. — The  legislature  of  Virginia  in  October,  1778,  created  the  County  of 
Illinois,  which  included  all  the  territory  north  and  west  of  the  Ohio  River.     In  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  this 

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ordinance,  the  Governor  of  Virginia,  Patrick  Henry,  appointed  John  Todd,  a  judge  of  the  court  in  Kentucky,  as 
County  Lieutenant,  or  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  newly  created  county. 

George  Rogers  Clark,  following  an  investigation  made  in  the  summer  of  1777,  undertook  an  expedition  in  1778  to 
capture  the  British  forts  at  Kaskaskia  and  Vincennes,  in  order  to  put  an  end  to  the  Indian  raids  on  settlements  in 
Kentucky.  He  was  supplied  with  seven  companies  of  fifty  men  each  by  Virginia.  The  American  flag  was  first  unfurled 
in  Illinois  at  Fort  Mas.-ac  by  this  company  on  its  march  to  Kaskaskia. 

On  the  afternoon  of  July  4,  1778,  the  party  reached  the  Kaskaskia  River,  three  miles  from  the  town,  and  waited 
in  the  woods  until  dark,  when  they  attacked  Fort  Gage  and  overpowered  the  garrison  without  bloodshed.  This  ended 
the  British  occupation  of  Illinois. 

Part  of  Northwest  Territory — 1787-1800. — In  1787  Illinois  became  a  part  of  the  Northwest  Territory  by 
the  famous  Ordinance  of  1787.  This  ordinance  has  been  called  the  great  American  charter,  because  it  determined  the 
destiny  of  the  states  formed  from  the  Northwest  Territory  and  was  a  powerful  factor  in  settling  the  questions  of 
slavery  and  state  sovereignty. 

Arthur  St.  Clair  was  elected  Governor  of  the  Northwest  Territory  by  Congress  on  October  5,  1787,  and  Samuel 
Holden  Parsons,  James  Mitchell  Varnum  and  John  Clever  Simmes  were  appointed  judges.  In  the  summer  of  1787 
the  Governor  and  judges  met  at  Marietta,  Ohio,  the  seat  of  government,  and  adopted  a  code  of  laws  for  the  territory. 
County  divisions,  except  in  Illinois,  were  marked  out  and  civil  officers  appointed.  This  was  the  first  grade  of  territorial 
government  under  the  Ordinance  of  1787. 

In  1790  Governor  St.  Clair  paid  his  first  visit  to  Kaskaskia  and  St.  Clair  County  was  organized.  In  1795  the 
first  session  of  court  wras  held  in  St.  Clair  County  by  Judge  Turner.  In  the  same  year  Randolph  County  was  created. 
By  the  Treaty  of  Greenville  part  of  Illinois  was  reserved  for    Indian   occupancy. 

In   1799  the  General  Assembly  for  the  Northwest  Territory  was  organized   and   Illinois  sent  two   representatives. 

Part  of  Indiana  Territory — 1800-1809. — The  territory  of  the  northwest  was  found  too  large  and  unwieldy  for 
a  single  government,  and  by  Act  of  Congress,  approved  May  7,  1800,  it  was  divided.  All  that  part  of  it  lying  west 
of  a  line  beginning  on  the  Ohio  River  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Kentucky,  running  thence  north  by  way  of  Fort 
Recovery  to  the  British  provinces,  was  considered  a  separate  territory  and  called  the  Territory  of  Indiana.  It  included 
the  present  States  of  Illinois,  Wisconsin,  Michigan  and  Indiana,   except   a   small    strip   on    the  west  side   between    the 

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mouths  of  the  Kentucky  and  the  Great  Miami.  The  white  population  of  this  immense  territory  was  estimated  at 
4,875  and  there  were  135  negro  slaves.     The  aggregate  number  of  Indians  in  this  territory  was  estimated  at  100,000. 

Vincennes  was  the  seat  of  government  of  Indiana  Territory  and  the  Ordinance  of  1787  still  applied,  in  a  modified 
form.  The  clause  requiring  a  population  of  5,000  free  white  male  inhabitants  of  the  age  of  21  years  and  upwards 
before  a  General  Assembly  could  be  organized  was  changed  so  that  a  legislature  could  be  established  at  the  will  of  a 
majority  of  the  freeholders.     The  law  went  into  effect  on  July  4,  1800. 

During  the  nine  years  that  Illinois  was  a  part  of  the  Indiana  Territory  land  titles  were  acquired  from  resident 
Indian  tribes,  the  territorial  legislature  was  organized  and  the  right  of  suffrage  was  determined. 

William  Henry  Harrison  was  governor  of  Indiana  Territory  during  this  period. 

Illinois  Territory — 1809-1818. — Illinois  Territory  was  established  by  Act  of  Congress,  approved  February  3, 
1809.  It  constituted  all  that  part  of  Indiana  Territory  lying  "west  of  the  Wabash  River  and  a  direct  line  drawn  from 
said  Wabash  River  and  Post  Vincennes  due  north  to  the  territorial  line  between  the  United  States  and  Canada."  This 
included  the  present  state  of  Wisconsin  as  well  as  the  present  State  of  Illinois. 

The  population  of  the  newly  organized  territory  was  estimated  at  about  9,000. 

By  the  Act  of  Separation  the  people  of  Illinois  were  entitled  to  all  the  rights,  privileges  and  advantages  granted 
and  secured  to  the  people  under  the  Ordinance  of  1787,  which  was  applied  to  the  territory.  Provision  was  made  for 
the  organization  of  the  second  grade  of  territorial  government  whenever  the  Governor  should  be  satisfied  that  the 
majority  of  free-holders  of  the  territory  desired  it,  notwithstanding  there  might  be  less  than  5,000  inhabitants.  At  a 
legislative  council  the  delegates  to  Congress  were  made  elective  by  the  people  and  the  seat  of  government  was  fixed  at 
Kaskaskia. 

Ninian  Edwards,  at  that  time  chief  justice  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  in  Kentucky,  was  appointed  governor  of  the 
newly  organized  Territory  of  Illinois  on  April  24,  1809. 

In  June  following  the  appointment  of  Governor  Edwards,  he  and  the  judges  first  met  as  a  law  making  body  at 
Kaskaskia.  On  May  21,  1812,  Illinois  was  raised  to  the  second  grade  of  territorial  government  and  in  October  of  that 
year  it  elected  its  first  territorial  officers  and  its  delegates  to  Congress.  The  first  session  of  the  territorial  legislature 
followed. 

The  outbreak  of  the  War  of  1812  found  Illinois  taking  its  first  steps  in  self-government.  There  was  no  fighting 
in  Illinois  between  the  British  and  American  troops,  but  the  war  affected  Illinois  because  of  Indian  attacks  incited  by 
British  agents  all  through  the  Northwest.     One  of  the  posts  in  Illinois  which  suffered  most  was  Fort  Dearborn  on  the 

[103] 


Chicago  River,  which  had  been  established  eight  years  before  to  supply  the  Indians'  wants  and  control  their  policies. 
A  garrison  of  seventy-five  men  under  Captain  Heald  was  stationed  at  the  fort.  Heald  was  ordered  by  his  superior, 
General  Hull,  in  charge  of  the  whole  territory,  to  evacuate  the  fort.  After  distributing  his  stores  to  the  Indians  and 
promising  more,  Captain  Heald  and  his  men  marched  out  of  the  fort  on  August  15,  with  a  force  of  500  Indians  acting 
as  escort,  and  headed  toward  Fort  Wayne.  The  Indians  treacherously  attacked  the  troops  after  they  left  the  fort  and 
two-thirds  of  the  men  were  killed.  The  remainder  surrendered  to  the  Indians  and  were  distributed  among  them  and 
not  ransomed  until  a  year  later.  The  fort  was  plundered  and  burned  to  the  ground  and  children  of  the  party  were 
killed. 

Troops  were  at  once  enlisted  for  an  expedition  against  the  tribes  who  had  taken  part  in  this  measure.  During  the 
remainder  of  the  war  the  frontier  was  in  a  state  of  defense.  Remote  settlers  were  moved  into  villages  and  strongholds 
were  rebuilt  and  strengthened. 

In  1813  Congress  passed  the  Pre-emption  Act  for  Illinois,  giving  settlers  the  right  of  pre-emption  on  public  lands 
and  protecting  them  against  speculation.  Early  in  1818  the  legislature  of  the  territory  sent  Nathaniel  Pope  as  terri- 
torial delegate  to  Washington  seeking  admission  for  Illinois  into  the  Union  as  a  State.  In  ten  years  the  population  of 
the  Illinois  Territory  had  increased  nearly  500  per  cent. 

Admission — Governor  Shadrach  Bond. — On  Pope's  suggestion,  3  per  cent  of  the  money  secured  by  the  sale  of 
public  lands,  which  other  states  of  the  Northwest  Territory  had  been  given  on  their  admission  for  the  building  of  roads 
and  bridges,  was  to  be  used  in  Illinois  for  public  schools,  and  the  boundary  line  as  fixed  by  the  Ordinance  of  1787  was 
moved  farther  north,  giving  the  State  frontage  on  Lake  Michigan.  The  line  was  fixed  at  42  degrees  and  30  minutes. 
A  strip  of  land  sixty-one  miles  wide,  from  which  fourteen  counties  have  since  been  made,  was  taken  from  Wisconsin 
territory.  But  for  this  change  in  the  boundary,  Illinois  would  have  lost  Chicago,  the  lead  mines  of  Galena  and  the 
Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal.  The  vote  of  these  northern  counties  had  an  important  influence  on  the  attitude  of 
Illinois  during  the  troublous  days  preceding  the  Civil  War. 

On  April  18  Congress  adopted  an  act  enabling  the  people  of  Illinois  to  frame  a  State  Constitution  and  fixing  the 
present  boundary.  In  July  following  members  of  a  Constitutional  Convention  were  elected.  The  convention  assem- 
bled on  August  26  and  adopted  the  first  Constitution  of  the  State.  The  first  election  of  State  officers  was  held  on 
September  17  and  the  first  Legislature  of  the  State  convened  at  Kaskaskia  on  October  5.  The  following  day  Shadrach 
Bond,  the  first  governor  of  the  State,  and  the  other  State  officers  were  inaugurated. 

The  act  formally  admitting  Illinois  as  a  State  of  the  Federal  Union  was  adopted  December  3,  1818. 

[104] 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 

977.3W887I  COM 

ILLINOIS  AND  LINCOLN  SPRINGFIELD,  ILL.? 


Ill 

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031842492 


